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2016, Number 4

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Revista Cubana de Salud y Trabajo 2016; 17 (4)

Variability and cognitive slowing in elder individuals: limitations on the attentional control

Amador RFJ, Mayor RJH

Language: Spanish
References: 44
Page: 24-31
PDF size: 391.64 Kb.


ABSTRACT

Introduction: The analysis of the reaction time variability and its interpretation in terms of limitations on executive control has been used to assess the contribution of that factor to cognitive slowing. Objective: To evaluate the variability of reaction time in elder individuals and healthy controls using a non-Gaussian distribution model, to estimate the contribution of non-randomized factors to the total variance of reaction time. Method: 35 healthy elders were compared with 80 young controls using several discriminative reaction time tasks of increasing demands of decision difficulty and exactly the same demands of motor response. The groups were paired by similar academic levels, intellectual performance and anxiety and depression levels. The central component of the reaction time was recorded separately and adjusted to ex-gaussian curve. The parameters µ, δ and θ (associated to the variability of distribution) were estimated. Results: First, elders are slower and more variables than controls; second, this variability is related to the occurrence of extreme slow responses; and third, that variability is intensified with the increasing demands of the task. Conclusions: These results are interpreted in terms of, on one hand, a reduction in the speed of computational operations that process the task information µ , and on the other, with the occurrence of temporary interruptions of operations that regulate and control those θ, ie with attentional lapses.


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